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A Vietnam veteran returned home after two years as a combat medic. He’d treated gunshot wounds, performed emergency procedures and saved lives under fire. Civilian hospitals wouldn’t hire him. His military training didn’t translate to any civilian medical credential. He ended up pumping gas at a service station.
This waste of medical talent happened thousands of times as Vietnam veterans came home in the 1960s. The problem caught the attention of Dr. Eugene Stead at Duke University Medical Center. He saw highly skilled medics and corpsmen unable to apply their training in civilian medicine. At the same time, the nation faced a severe shortage of primary care physicians.
Stead’s solution created an entirely new medical profession.
The First Class
In 1965, Stead launched the first physician assistant program at Duke University. The initial class consisted of four former Navy corpsmen. Three completed the two-year program and graduated Oct. 6, 1967. Kenneth Ferrell, Victor Germino and Richard Scheele became the first physician assistants in American medicine.
The date matters. National PA Week is celebrated annually from Oct. 6 to 12 because Oct. 6 marks both the first graduation and Stead’s birthday.
Stead built the curriculum around clinical training rather than traditional didactic education. He’d watched military medics develop exceptional skills through hands-on experience. His program expanded that foundation with supervised medical practice. Students learned by doing, not just studying.
Read More: The Vietnam Veterans Who Fought for Modern PTSD Treatments
Why Military Medicine
Combat medics and Navy corpsmen operated independently in the field. They triaged casualties, stabilized trauma patients, managed pain and made critical medical decisions with minimal supervision. Many had more practical experience treating emergencies than civilian medical students.
Special Forces medics trained to operate completely autonomously, supporting small teams in remote locations. They performed minor surgeries, managed infectious diseases and handled everything from dental emergencies to childbirth. This level of independent practice impressed Stead and influenced his vision for physician assistants.
The problem was that none of this training counted in civilian health care. Medics who’d saved lives couldn’t get jobs as orderlies. Corpsmen with years of emergency medicine experience couldn’t work in hospitals without starting over completely.
Stead recognized that these veterans already possessed the clinical skills and decision-making ability needed in medicine. They just needed formal education to bridge military experience to civilian health care.
The Spread
Other universities noticed Duke’s success. Dr. Richard Smith at the University of Washington launched the MEDEX Northwest program in 1969, also targeting veterans with medical training. The name MEDEX came from the French “medecin extension,” meaning physician extender.
The military created its own PA programs. The Army launched its Physician Assistant Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 1971. Vietnam veteran and former combat medic Louis Rocco was part of that first class. The services eventually consolidated training into the Interservice Physician Assistant Program.
A 1971 Life magazine advertisement showed a young African-American veteran with the caption, “We want to put this man in the hospital.” The text explained that he’d spent two years as a Vietnam medic saving lives on the battlefield. Now he was pumping gas, wasting his training. The ad promoted PA programs as the solution.
The Legacy
Today more than 178,000 physician assistants practice in the United States. They work in every medical specialty, from emergency medicine to surgery to primary care. The profession consistently ranks among the best jobs in America for salary, growth and job satisfaction.
Vietnam veterans laid the foundation, refusing to accept that their medical skills had no value in civilian life. Stead and other physicians saw that waste and created a new profession to harness it.
Every PA practicing today owes the profession’s existence to combat medics and Navy corpsmen who proved that medical expertise doesn’t require a medical degree.
Read More: December 1944: The Medics Who Saved Thousands at the Battle of the Bulge
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22 Comments
It’s disappointing that the training and experience of combat medics and corpsmen didn’t count in civilian healthcare, and that they couldn’t get jobs as orderlies or work in hospitals without starting over, which led to a waste of medical talent and prompted Dr. Stead to take action.
This highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing the skills and experience of military personnel in civilian healthcare.
The fact that the first physician assistant program was launched in 1965 and has since grown into a thriving profession is a testament to the vision and leadership of Dr. Eugene Stead and the many healthcare professionals who have contributed to its development over the years.
It’s fascinating that the first physician assistant program at Duke University was created in response to the severe shortage of primary care physicians in the 1960s, and that the initial class consisted of four former Navy corpsmen who learned through supervised medical practice and clinical training.
The story of Army Spc. 4 Donald Ward “Doc” Evans Jr., the first Vietnam War medic to receive the Medal of Honor posthumously, is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by military medics and the importance of honoring their memory and legacy.
The creation of the physician assistant profession is a great example of how healthcare professionals can come together to address a common problem, in this case the shortage of primary care physicians, and create a new solution that benefits patients and the healthcare system as a whole.
The story of the Vietnam veteran who couldn’t get hired by civilian hospitals despite his experience as a combat medic is heartbreaking, and it’s astonishing that his military training didn’t translate to any civilian medical credential, highlighting the need for programs like the physician assistant program launched by Dr. Eugene Stead in 1965.
The story of how the physician assistant field arose from military medicine is a fascinating one, and it highlights the importance of innovation and adaptability in healthcare, as well as the need to recognize and value the skills and experience of military personnel in civilian healthcare.
I’m curious about the current state of the physician assistant profession and how it continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of patients and the healthcare system, and what the future holds for these highly skilled healthcare professionals.
The profession is likely to continue growing and adapting to new challenges and opportunities in the healthcare system.
The fact that Evans Army Community Hospital on Fort Carson, Colorado, was named in honor of Army Spc. 4 Donald Ward “Doc” Evans Jr. and has achieved high-quality patient safety awards and recognitions is a testament to the enduring legacy of military medics and the importance of quality healthcare.
The fact that military medics and Navy corpsmen had more practical experience treating emergencies than civilian medical students is impressive, and it’s no wonder that Dr. Stead was influenced by their level of independent practice when designing the physician assistant program.
I’m supportive of the physician assistant profession and the important role that these healthcare professionals play in addressing the needs of patients and the healthcare system, and I believe that their contributions will continue to grow and evolve in the future.
It’s concerning that the shortage of primary care physicians in the 1960s led to the creation of the physician assistant profession, but it’s also a testament to the ability of healthcare professionals to adapt and innovate in response to changing needs and circumstances.
I’m curious about the curriculum designed by Dr. Stead, which focused on clinical training rather than traditional didactic education, and how it has evolved over time to produce highly skilled physician assistants like Kenneth Ferrell, Victor Germino, and Richard Scheele, the first graduates of the program.
The program’s emphasis on hands-on experience has been instrumental in providing students with the practical skills they need to succeed in the field.
Dr. Stead’s recognition that military veterans already possessed the clinical skills and decision-making ability needed in medicine, and that they just needed a way to apply their training in civilian healthcare, was a crucial insight that led to the creation of the physician assistant profession.
The experience of the first physician assistants, including Kenneth Ferrell, Victor Germino, and Richard Scheele, who graduated on Oct. 6, 1967, must have been challenging, but their success paved the way for future generations of physician assistants.
The fact that Dr. Stead’s program expanded the foundation of military medic training with supervised medical practice and clinical training has had a lasting impact on the development of the physician assistant profession and its ability to produce highly skilled healthcare professionals.
I’m excited to learn more about the history of the physician assistant field and how it has evolved over time, from the first program at Duke University to the current state of the profession, and how it continues to address the needs of patients and the healthcare system.
The celebration of National PA Week from Oct. 6 to 12 is a great way to honor the contributions of physician assistants and the impact they have had on healthcare, and it’s interesting that the date marks both the first graduation of physician assistants and Dr. Stead’s birthday.
I’m skeptical about the ability of physician assistant programs to address the shortage of primary care physicians, but the success of the first program at Duke University and the creation of National PA Week suggest that these programs have made a significant impact.